| Holding Liat | |
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| Directed by | Brandon Kramer |
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| Edited by | Jeff Gilbert |
| Music by | Jordan Dykstra |
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Running time | 97 minutes [3] |
| Country | United States |
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Holding Liat is a 2025 American documentary film, directed by Brandon Kramer. Produced by Darren Aronofsky under his Protozoa Pictures banner. It follows Liat Beinin Atzili family reaction after she and her husband were kidnapped from their home in a kibbutz near Gaza border during the October 7 attacks. [4]
The film had its world premiere at the Forum section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2025, where it won the Berlinale Documentary Film Award.
During the October 7 attacks Liat Beinin Atzili and her husband Aviv Atzili were kidnapped from their home in a kibbutz near the border. Liat parents, Yehuda and Chaya Beinin, deal with the fear of their daughter fate. Alongside many other relatives dissatisfied with Benjamin Netanyahu's government disregard of the hostages, Yehuda intensifies its public campaign against the Gaza war, and the inevitability of hostages casualties.
Yehuda travels alongside Tal, his youngest daughter, to the United States hoping to gather support against the Israeli government inaction, Yehuda finds that American politicians unconditional support for Israel is also reflected upon Netanyahu. In Portland, ceasefire demonstrations take place and American academic and historian Joel Beinin, Yehuda's brother, gives a lecture about the Nakba. Through video chat, the brothers' old disagreement over the basic principles of the state of Israel is revealed, as Joel argues that the Kibbutz original socialist ideal was captured by a colonialist agenda.
Blood find in the Kibbutz is confirmed to be from Aviv, but the IDF still don't know the whereabouts of his body. The kibbutz members mourns its losses, but a feeling of outrage still grips Israeli society. As the first ceasefire is announced, relatives awaits the final list of released hostages. Tal express her dissatisfaction with the Israeli and American position in a public meeting about the ceasefire. Liat is ultimately released by Hamas. Yehuda and Chaya receive a call from American President Joe Biden, to whom they express gratitude.
Liat reunites with her parents at the hospital, informing she realized something bad must have happened to Aviv. At his funeral, Liat gives a speech and the family dance in his memory. Returning to her kibbutz, she watches through TV the ceasefire demonstrations in Tel Aviv. Three months later, in a Holocaust memorial, Liat weights about the ongoing war and the Palestinian lives on the "other side of the fence".
Brandon Kramer, a distant relative, began documenting following the kidnapping of Liat Beinin Atzili, as her father Yehuda Beinin traveled to the United States to advocate for her release. [5] Production additionally took place in Israel, as Beinin reached out to more people to help, expressing disdain for the Israeli government. [6] [7]
The film had its World Premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2025, where it won the Berlinale Documentary Film Award. [8] [9] Soon after, it had its North American Premiere at Tribeca Festival on June 9, 2025. [10] [11]
The film was first released theatrically by MetFilm in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2025. It is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States in January 2026, beginning with New York's Film Forum. [12] [13] [14] In Israel, the theatrical run will be coordinated by Rotem Heyman followed by a television premiere on Yes. [14]
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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| Berlin International Film Festival | February 22, 2025 | Berlinale Documentary Film Award | Holding Liat | Won | [15] |
| Hamptons International Film Festival | November 7, 2025 | Brizzola Family Foundation Award for Films of Conflict & Resoltuion | Won | [16] |